Florida Orthoptera ·1

Artificial Key to the commn "Orthopteroid" insects and Principal families of

Orthoptera occurring in Florida

1. Front tibiae apically dilated, with several large dac-

tyls (teeth) modified for digging. Body size >20mm.
(Fig. 1, mole crickets) ................... Gryllotalpidae
— Front tibiae not greatly dilated apically. Size variable
................................................................................. 2
2. Front and middle tarsi 2-segmented.(Figs. 4, 5) Hind
tarsi 1-segmented (Fig. 6) or absent. Size small,
<10mm (pigmy mole crickets) ........ Tridactylidae

Fig. 1. Modified front legs of mole cricket (Orthoptera: Gryllo-

talpidae) illustrating dactyls. Photo J. Castner.

Fig. 4. Protarsus

Fig. 2. Tridactylidae - adult side view

Fig. 5. Mid tarsus

Fig. 3. Tridactylidae -adult dorsal view

Fig. 6. Hind tarsus

2 · Florida Orthoptera

Fig. 7. Gryllus sp. male (upper) amd female (lower) showing

femora modified for jumping. Photos P. M. Choate.

— Front and middle tarsi usually 3 or more segmented.

If front and middle tarsi 2-segmented, hind tarsi 3
segmented. Size variable ...................................... 3.

3. Hind femora greatly enlarged and fitted for jumping

(Fig. 7); ovipositor exserted; all tarsi with less than
5 segments .............................................................. 4
— Hind femora not greatly enlarged for jumping; not
much larger than other femora; ovipositor con- Fig. 8. Tetrigidae. Antennae shorter than body.
cealed; tarsi with 5 tarsomeres ............................ 9

4. Antennae much shorter than body (Fig. 8); tarsi 2-3

segmented; ovipositor short and composed of 2
pairs of short, horny, diverging plates (Fig. 9) ... 5

Fig. 9. Ovipositor of Tetrigidae, short divergng plates.

Fig. 10. Tetrigidae. Photo - Giff Beaton

 Florida Orthoptera ·3

— Antennae as long as or longer than the body (Fig. 11);

tarsi 3-4 segmented; ovipositor elongate and either
sword-shaped or cylindrical (Fig.12, 13) .............. 6

5. Pronotum greatly elongated, projecting backwards

over the abdomen (Fig. 3) ................... Tetrigidae
— Pronotum never extending over the abdomen (grass-
hoppers) ................................................. Acrididae

Fig. 13. Ovipositor Gryllidae

6. At least middle tarsi, and usually all tarsi 4 - segment-

ed; ovipositor sword-shaped, laterally compressed
................................................................................. 7
— All tarsi 3 - segmented; ovipositor cylindrical (crick-
ets) (Fig. 13, 14) ....................................... Gryllidae

Fig. 14.

Fig. 11. Tettigoniidae. Photo P. M. Choate

Fig. 12. Ovipositor of Tettigoniidae

4 · Florida Orthoptera

7. Wings usually absent; front tibiae with or without

tympana; (cave and camel crickets) ...................... 8
— Wings present but may be reduced in size; front tibiae
with tympana (Fig. 15) ................... Tettigoniidae

8. Antennae contiguous at base or nearly so (Fig. 16) ..

............................................... Rhaphidophoridae
— Antennae separated at base by distance equal to or
greater thanlength of first antennal segment ....... Fig. 15. Tympanum on front tibia of Tettigoniidae.
....................................................... Gryllacrididae

Fig. 16. Rhaphidophoridae - Camel cricket. Photo by Giff

Beaton
 Florida Orthoptera ·5

9. Body long and slender; head exserted and free; legs

slender, more or less cylindrical, fitted for walking
(the following 3 orders no longer included in Ortho-
ptera) ..................................................................... 10
— Body short, oval, depressed; head almost concealed
beneath the pronotum; coxae of legs depressed and
legs compressed or flattened (Fig. 17., cockroach-
es); ........................................................... Blattodea

10. Front pair of legs fitted for grasping; cerci jointed

(Fig.18) ................................................... Mantodea
— Front pairs of legs not fitted for grasping; cerci not
jointed (Fig. 19) (walkingsticks) ... Phasmatodea
17. Blattodea - Asian cockroach at light. Photo P. M. Choate

Fig. 18. Mantodea - Mantidae. Photo P. M. Choate

Fig.19. Phasmatodea - Pseudophasmatidae - Anisomorpha

buprestoides Stoll. Photo P. M. Choate.